Honor ch1

Star tensed, sensing, even in her sleep, someone was watching. She opened her eyes and saw a shadowy shape. It was apparently unaware that she was awake and aware of it. Fast as was possible, Star slithered out of the warm crevice, in the rock, of the cave, that she slept in.  She drew out a knife as she went landing in a defensive stance.  She caught the thing generally by suprise and it jumped back warily also in a defensive stance.1

Even with her eyes fully open Star couldn't make out much of the thing in the shadows of the cave. "Slandrat", she called the Miztic greeting for "hello". "Who are you?" She spoke in common.2

There was a moment in when Star wasn't sure it would answer, then, "I am sorry to have startled you" judging by his voice Star guessed he was male. His voice was soft, quiet, and commanding. He had a slight accent that was vaguely familiar to her. He continued when she remained silent. "I was simply trying to decipher whether or not you were harmful."3

"Have you come to a conclusion?" she inquired, trying to sound neither threatening nor afraid, but steady.4

"One cannot decide something so perilous in thirty seconds", he spoke politely, but she could sense laughter and sarcasm just outside the walls of her mind.5

"If one was attacked onw could speed up the process of descision." She spoke in a polite, but obviously jesting tone of voice, paused and continued more seriously. "We are at a draw of sorts."6

"No", now she could feel the laughter even more as if he was trying to stifle a personal joke in his mind and only half suceeding. "In a fight I would win, I could kill you if I wished." The laughter in his emotions had vanished, fading to a calm, preparation to a fight, and belief in his own words that penetrated all other emotions.7

She inwardly sighed - few people can beat me in a fair fight, but not everyone fights fair and I'm not giving Mr. Overconfident the benifit of the doubt. He believes he can beat me and there isn't much that's more dangerous than a half-trained idiot who thinks that they can beat anyone, it makes them unpredictable. They think they can keep fighting even after they've been wounded. If I just leave and go through the whole hiding trail, running away thing, he will probably assume he's scared me off with his intimidating greatness and not pursue... at which point I can creep up behind him and see if he's really harmful or not.-8

"I shall end the draw and take my leave." She spoke with an abrupt politeness and strode forward to yank her bed roll out of it's crevice in the cave wall. She could feel her nerves humming, battle ready if he attacked her. Cool air wove around her whispering, ready to warn her if he attacked her while her back was to him. She turned around and pulled away from the air, determined not to use magic to guard her back.9

She backed out of the cave, keeping aware of him and anything else that might be waiting outside of the cave.10

Lady Maxinai, Star's Sheyon was basically a horse with a Miztics intelligence and certain unknown powers. As for Maxinai herself, Star knew she had mind control and empathy. She was a Sheyon of the miztic, a true bred "horse" that had been made in the begining by the Ontara Crian (Great One). Sheyons could breed, but their babies would not be conceived until a chosen Miztic or Hiato was brought to life. ( It wasn't limited to Hiato or Miztic) As far as it was known Sheyons lived  until their chosen died, they chose to die, or they were murdered.11

The Shenayo trotted up behind her mistress with water drippng from her muzzle obviously returning from a nearby stream. The Sheyon Lady caught the strange scent of the thing that was in the cave and squealed a warning, exploded into a gallop straight toward Star as if she intended to run her over. The two of them had run through this drill enough that it was performed like breathing.  As soon as Maxi was one step away from turning Star into trail dust, Star twisted and leapt, slining one leg over her Sheyon. They exploded off leaving the stranger in the dust.12

***13

Steel watched the Miztic girl ride off. She obviously hadn't meant any harm, simply wondered if he had, and he had to admit that somone creeping up on you while you slept was rather suspicious.14

As she had backed out of the cave into the mid-morning sunlight her hair had caught the deep golden rays and shown like a halo, turning her skin a china pale color. Beautiful, but Steel knew that some of the most poisonous flowers in the realms wee lovely. Looks and danger often ran together corrupting all in their path. Yet, she'd gotten his interest, no apparent reason, just a general interest.15

-Of all idiocies - He thought to himself - I'm finally finding a female more interesting than someone to simply make my clothes  or cook and she's obviouly Miztic. Our countries are at war, and will continue to be no matter what that pompous Miztic idiot who calls himself ing thinks. He thinks a treaty will solve all our troubles. All we need is for him to let his guard down, walk the Hiato army in, and Miztica is ours. - He walked the rest of the way ou of the cave and let out an ear-peircing whistle. Another Sheyon, a black stallion, trotted out of the woods. Quista'tor was a Sheyon of the Hiato. The only difference was which race they chose to choose.16

He mounted in much the same way she had with the exception that Q'tor was trotting, not galloping. They rode off, Steel thinking of more serious things than a Miztic girl.17

***18

Star just about collapsed  into a rock crevice similar to the one she'd been slpeeping in before she met the stranger. She was in a particularly wild part of the Miztic realm. When she ran into something dangerous she had to deal with it herself, by making peace with it or fighting. She prefered the former.19

It had been three long days of riding and hiding her trail, endlessly day and night  working to go back the way she'd come to see who the invader was. Maxi had spoken to Star mind-to-mind to tell her he was riding a Sheyon, but would say nothing else. Star considered that even she had to rest, or she would never be able to fight the possible danger. 20

She relaxed into her bed roll  ready to let sleep take her, with Maxi to guard the cave. About that moment Maxinai screamed a warning from outside the cave and Star leapt out of bed so fast she slammed her head into the cave wall. Shreiking in a mixture of battle-cry and pain, Star sprinted out of the cave.21